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Superman in Crisis

SiC 51 — The Last Superboy Story (03:13:1986)

Reviewing Superman 420 and the final Superboy story of this era in Legion of Super-Heroes 23!

One reply on “SiC 51 — The Last Superboy Story (03:13:1986)”

I enjoyed “We Are the Dreamers of Dreams” mostly for, as you described it, what it was trying to do. As a longtime teacher, myself, I always appreciate someone showing some respect and understanding for the people who do the job, even if they oversimplify things a bit. I liked your comments about the eternal, “When will we ever use this?” question from students. I often told my students that we don’t always learn things merely because they’re useful. Knowledge and learning are valuable (sometimes even beautiful) for themselves. “A mind that looks only for utility, is a mind that looks at the Hope Diamond and sees a sparkly nutcracker. I hope you don’t want to be that person.”
I thought it was interesting that Elliot S! Maggin made Chris the grandson of Chief Parker. It was a nice touch, I guess, for longtime Superboy fans, but it doesn’t really advance the story. Heck of a nice gift Superman gave Chris at the end! He’s probably have been happy if it had been made of steel or even titanium, rather than diamond. Nowadays, I’d wonder if the kid tried to sell it on eBay, or maybe a Christie’s auction.
“Back Home in Hell” addressed something I’d thought about a lot, even as a kid: What reaction did Mon-El have to spending a thousand years as a disembodied phantom? I mean, imagine the knowledge he could have accumulated from a thousand years of observing people and events across the universe, but imagine the frustration of not being able to interact with those people or events, or affect them in any way. “Hell” sounds like an apt description, and I can understand his adamant refusal to go back. The Legionnaires were pretty high-handed to just send him back. Way to remove his agency, folks!
I had to smile when you were mentioning the precursor storyline to Mon-El, with Superman’s “big brother”, Halk Kar. I actually used the name Halk Kar as my online “handle” back in the early days, and it’s also the title of a blog I made, ages ago (Click on my name above my comments, and it should take you there.)
Well, I have one more episode to listen to, to catch up on the podcast, so I better get going. Thanks, as always.

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